TEHRAN - Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran is appealing for a ceasefire. “We have not sent any messages and do not request a ceasefire, but this war must end in a way that it is not repeated,” Araghchi told reporters at the Foreign Ministry in Tehran on Monday. 

The top Iranian diplomat added, “The reason we say we do not want a ceasefire is not because we are seeking war, but because this time the war must end in a way that our enemies never even consider repeating these attacks and acts of aggression. I think they have learned a good lesson by now and understand what kind of nation they are dealing with – one that does not hesitate at all in its self-defense and is prepared to continue the war as far as necessary.”

Over the past few days, President Trump has claimed that the U.S. military has completely destroyed Iran’s military and that Tehran is desperate for a ceasefire. Despite the U.S. president’s claims, Iranian armed forces continue to target strategic areas in Israel and American military sites in the Persian Gulf region. Iran states that the retaliatory strikes are in response to the joint U.S.-Israel aggression that began on February 28.

Referring to President Trump’s “unconditional surrender” call, Araghchi said, “With the massive scale of attacks and the (military) action they took on the first day, and then again starting with the phrase ‘unconditional surrender,’ and now, after approximately 15 days of war, they resort to those they considered enemies until yesterday for the security of the Strait of Hormuz…The Strait of Hormuz is open, but it is closed to our enemies, those who carried out an unfair act of aggression against our country.”

Trump had called on U.S. allies and China to deploy warships to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it would not allow the “aggressors” to transit oil through the strategic waterway. So far, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, South Korea, and China have declined to commit warships in response to Trump’s appeal for a naval escort mission through the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S.-Israeli strikes have so far claimed the lives of approximately 1,500 people in Iran. Residential areas, hospitals, and schools have not been spared from the bombardments.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that any ceasefire must lead to the recognition of Iran’s rights, payment of reparations, and international guarantees that the U.S. and Israel will not attack Iran again.